How it was just
by Atheniandream
Summary: How it was...just, Just.


Title: How it was...Just  
  
Author: Athena.   
  
Email: atheniandream@aol.com  
  
Content Warnings: Vignette, thoughts, Light romance  
  
Pairings: S/J....what a surprise. Like I write anything else.  
  
Spoilers: None.  
  
Season: Seven/Eight, depending on how long they want to drag it out...   
  
Rating: PG  
  
Summary: How it was...just, Just.  
  
Author's notes: thanks Starprops for the great and mighty beta.   
  
Archive: Anywhere. I'm my own publicist.   
  
Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING. I know this. God-dammit ;)  
  
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How it was...Just  
  
--------------------------------------  
  
It happened so fast. It always does, but I would have thought that it would have taken longer. Slower, more precise than just two sentences fought out between of us leading to one jointed feeling.  
  
I actually had things that I wanted to say for once.  
  
Things that I wanted to tell her. Make her aware of. And for a man who's spent his entire life waiting for others to answer for him, well...it's the wonder of a thing that makes it precious.  
  
That makes it whole.  
  
I just thought, that when I said it, the lights would dim, or else, cascade into some magnificent MGM motion picture...  
  
  
  
-----------It could have been simple--------------------  
  
"Jack, What do you see?"  
  
"I see you."  
  
---------It could have been mixed with frankness, and honesty------  
  
"Look, I don't pretend to be romantic, I never have done. I don't pretend to know the mysteries of your heart or the people that you keep in it. I just don't pretend."  
  
"Then, god, you don't know me as well as you think."  
  
"Then we're not so different?"  
  
"No. Thank god...because that would make for far less insight."  
  
--------It could have been vague, and yet blissfully beautiful-------------  
  
"Carter, if I didn't...*you know*, then I wouldn't be here."  
  
"That's why it makes it so hard."  
  
------------It could have been romantic--------------  
  
"Jack, you could wish away a thousand reasons for me not to want kiss you. But it doesn't mean that I wouldn't. Just that I can't."  
  
"Maybe that day is over?"  
  
"What...?"  
  
--------------It could have been passionate------------  
  
"I rather die now and risk a lifetime without kissing you, Carter. That's the way it is...I'm not perfect."  
  
"Oh? And you think that I love you because you are? Because you're not, you...know,"  
  
"Yes. I know. Wait. You love...me?"  
  
------------But it wasn't--------------  
  
It was none of those things.  
  
It was far simpler.  
  
It was nearly as frank, but said with more ease and freedom and spirit.  
  
It pinpointed everything we needed to say, avoiding vague entirely, but not discounting beautiful. She was there, after all...  
  
It shed Romance just a touch, to make room for admittance, and choice and clarity.  
  
It didn't need passion...not just yet anyway.  
  
It could have been everything, and yet it was...just.  
  
Just.  
  
And true.   
  
"Damn it, I think I'm in love with you." Her eyes scored straight ahead or herself, blinking as hands still etched at her sides, flicking against the rock in the midst of her words.  
  
"You think?" He tried to hide the slight shock at the way her statement sounded. It was a statement after all...  
  
"I know." She reiterated, sure of herself now. Although she seemed too bored.  
  
"Good, backatcha."   
  
"Backatcha?" Glassy blue eyes blinked.   
  
"Yea." Brown ones blinked back, before continuing to bore a hole ahead of them.  
  
"Aren't you going to say it back?"  
  
"I already did."  
  
"No, *you* said 'backatcha'..."   
  
Feeling annoyance grow from her voice, he sighed rolling his eyes at her.  
  
"Okay. I love you."  
  
"Oh." Looking away and back ahead of her, she couldn't hide the smile forming. "Good."  
  
"Yea. Good." He tapped his stomach affectionately. "So, you want some cake?"  
  
"That'd be nice."  
  
"Just nice?"  
  
"No, no. Don't push it,"  
  
I said it was just...just.  
  
--------------------------------  
  
Feed, please. Pretty gorgeously please.  
  
Athena 


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